Meet the spotted, speed-demon, cake-loving showjumping superstar who’s just turned 21, and qualified for the Blue Chip Winter Showjumping Championships.
Grade A Caltra Minister and Abi Andrews won the Diamond qualifier at Duckhurst Farm, Kent, on 29 December, picking up their ticket for the spring finals by over a second, from 37 starters.
Abi told H&H she tried to semi-retire “Charlie”, also known as Turbo Spots, last summer, without success.
“I started winding things down last year and didn’t really ride him; he was a companion for a foal who’d just arrived, “ she said. “But he was just jumping in and out of fields, three to four times a day. The vet was there doing vaccinations and said ‘Why aren’t you still jumping that horse?’! So I started again, and he absolutely loves it.”
Abi bought Charlie in 2018 from Amy Ryan, with whom he had had great success including winning the speed derby at the Arena UK Major Showjumping Championships, and going to grade A.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have him in his later days; we started doing the amateur stuff straight away,” Abi said. “Then I got pregnant within about three weeks of buying him, and went to the Aintree amateur championships when I was six months’ pregnant. We came fourth in the final; I could feel the baby kicking before we went in. He’s the only horse I’d ever have dreamed of leaving the floor on when heavily pregnant but he took us both round.”
Charlie is known for his warp speed but Abi said he does not look the fastest; it is his tight turns that mean he is normally well out in front.
“He just needs to know the course!” she said. “If I don’t make a mistake, I don’t think there are many horses who could touch him at these heights. If I don’t interfere or panic, he’s the fastest there is; our only trouble is that he turns too tight – if he whips round too fast, I’m out of the side door. I’ve never seen a horse turn like him.
“At Duckhurst, he knows exactly where he’s going and like on Sunday, comes round so fast, I don’t do anything, just hold the mane. I need a strap with handles like on the kids’ Inky Dinky saddles, as he turns faster than I can!”
Abi said she has never yet been to the Blue Chip championships; as she is self-employed and has two children, it can be hard to get to shows that run on weekdays.
“But this might be one of the last ones I get to go to with him so I might try to give it a bash,” she said. “I think he deserves to go; he’s amazing at everything and I just need to switch off and leave it all to him.”
Ani said Charlie is “fully automatic”, and not just to ride. He loads himself, stands loose to be untacked and loves going to shows.
“As soon as I touch the box, his head starts bobbing up and down,” she said. “Not neurotic, just vibrating with excitement like a Ribenaberry because he knows he’s going out. He loves it, and he’s the kindest, most wonderful horse.
“He’s usually referred to as ‘coloured’ and his passport says skewbald but he’s a palomino blanket appaloosa, although there’s no appaloosa in his book so I don’t know where that came from. He’s my blonde bombshell flying machine.”
And he knows when he has done well too, Abi said, and earned his reward.
“At Duckhurst they normally have these beautiful big Victoria sponges, which are rather good,” she said. “I always get him something when he’s done well and once they’d run out of Polos so I got him a slice of this beautiful cake and now it’s become a thing; he looks for his slice of cake when he’s done well. And to be honest, I should get him one even when we haven’t done well as that’s always my fault. He’s just a superstar and I’m lucky to have him.”
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